Currently, archers have difficulty in extracting their arrows from a target. This is particularly so when dense closed-cell targets are used. These targets receive and expand around the arrow shaft and due to the high degree of friction of the cellular material along with the high penetration depths achieved by modern bows, pulling an arrow from such a target can be extremely difficult.
Retrieving such a stuck arrow therefore requires the user to use a relatively large amount of force to pull these “stuck” arrows from a target. If care is not taken retrieving these arrows, however, the user can possibly either injure himself or damage either the arrow or the target. It should be appreciated that even the slightest bend or curve made into an arrow shaft can cause great in-flight inaccuracy.
The broad purpose of the present invention is to provide a safe and easy process for reducing the coefficient of friction of the outer surface of an arrow shaft.
Prior art attempts to reduce the friction between the arrow and target involve the repeated application of a silicone-containing liquid to the arrowhead and the front portion of the arrow shaft. One example of such a prior art method is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,685 issued to Gary L. Wood, Sr. on Jul. 25, 2000. This patent discloses a liquid-based silicone lubricant that is applied with either a dauber or by dipping an arrow into a lubricant containing vessel. This method of lubricating an arrow, however, suffers from the drawback of having to repeatedly reapply the lubricant while shooting. Additionally, after reapplying the liquid, the archer must then wait for the liquid to dry prior to shooting.
The present invention overcomes the above-referenced and other disadvantages of prior art techniques for easing the retrieval of arrows from a target by semi-permanently applying a lubricant material upon the outer surface of the arrow's shaft. This lubricant material includes a solid particulate material having a very low coefficient of friction which is suspended in a semi-fluid paste or wax. By buffing and/or heating the lubricant material, the user can ensure the non-stick material is fixed to the shaft.
The present invention provides a novel method of lubricating an arrow that conditions the arrow's shaft using a polytetrafluoroetylene (PTFE) based solid lubricant, such as the materials sold under the trademarks Teflon and Zonyl by the E. I. Du Pont De Nemours and Co., Corporation. This lubricant is applied suspended within a thin layer of paste, wax or colloid (e.g., a sol gel) onto an arrow shaft. In the preferred embodiment, heat is applied to the lubricant-coated arrow to aid in drying and speeding the set-up of the lubricant to the shaft. In one embodiment the lubricant is rubbed or buffed onto the arrow shaft.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide a method for easily retrieving arrows from an archery target, the method including the steps of providing a PTFE-based lubricant, applying the lubricant to an arrow shaft, and heating the lubricant to set the lubricant upon the shaft.
It is another advantage of the present invention that the PTFE in the lubricant can be sintered to the outer surface of an arrow shaft by heating the coated arrow shaft.
It is still another advantage of the present invention that a PTFE-based lubricant is applied to the arrow shaft to ensure that the lubricating material is both non-reactive and that the high-temperatures of the arrow head and shaft entering a target do not melt or degrades the lubricant.
It is yet another advantage of the present invention that an arrow shaft having microscopic cracks and fissures in its outer surface that is lubricated according to the present invention, will have the cracks and fissures filled and smoothed by the lubricant.
It is still yet another advantage of the present invention that the lubricated arrow shaft reduces friction losses and noise as the arrow slides along the arrow rest.
It is still yet another advantage of the present invention that the lubricated arrow shaft reduces in-flight drag of the arrow.
Still further objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains upon reference to the following detailed description.